prosum Latin · revision 17887

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=204–169 BC, Ennius|origins=ine-pro *h₁es-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈproː.sũː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈprɔː.s̬um]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''prōsum''' (present infinitive prōdesse, perfect active prōfuī, future active participle prōfutūrus); irregular conjugation, suppletive, no passive, no supine stem except in the future active participle, no gerund^(Wiktionary)

+ A future ''prōde erit'' is found in the land surveyor Agennius.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is formed [[af|la|prō-|sum|t2=to be]].^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary) Forms such as ⟨prōdesse⟩ show the variant ⟨prōd-⟩ of the prefix, which de Vaan takes to be a newer form built after ⟨red-⟩; he traces [[m|la|sum]] to [[ine-pro|*h₁es-|t=to be]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Ennius has the line ''quī ipse sibi sapiēns prōdesse nōn quit, nēquīquam sapit'', “a wise man who cannot help himself is wise in vain”.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is used of people “to be of use, help” and of things “to be helpful, beneficial”, with the dative of the person helped.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) Cato uses it of remedies, “to be good for”, and the jurists of what tells in someone's favour.^(OLD 2012) Church Latin glosses it “to be profitable, useful”.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ The subjunctive ''prōsit'' “may it benefit (you)” became a toast, famous among German students, recorded in English from 1846.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius: ''quī ipse sibi sapiēns prōdesse nōn quit''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 230/220–168 BC – Caecilius: ''serit arborēs, quae saeclō prōsint alterī'', “he plants trees to benefit another generation”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 234–149 BC – Cato prescribes a cup on an empty stomach: ''prōderit'', “it will do good”.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1846 – ''Prosit'' recorded as a toast in English.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be of use, do good, [[m|en|help]], [[m|en|benefit]] (with the dative).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Wiktionary)^(Stelten 1995)

+ # To be beneficial, advantageous (of things).^(OLD 2012)

+ # To be good for (an illness).^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(with ad)'' To tell in one's favour.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[prōde]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[absum]]

+ * [[adsum]]

+ * [[dēsum]]

+ * [[īnsum]]

+ * [[intersum]]

+ * [[obsum]]

+ * [[possum]]

+ * [[praesum]]

+ * [[subsum]]

+ * [[sum]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A rare adverb ''prōsum'' is a form of ''[[prōrsum]]'' “straight on”; the OLD and the TLL list it separately.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}